Wisconsin basketball put forth the effort of the year Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. It defeated Purdue, 76-75, with a last-second shot in overtime despite the dominance of Boilermakers big man Zach Edey and nearly every Wisconsin big man having fouled out.
The win is significant for numerous reasons. First, the Badgers are on to the final of the 2024 Big Ten Tournament to face Illinois. Second, Greg Gard’s team is playing its best basketball at the perfect time and appears to have put its month-long struggles in the past.
Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s heart-stopping overtime win over Purdue
One of the reasons for the victory today, and the general turnaround, is the stellar play of point guard Chucky Hepburn. His 22 points led the Badgers while his stellar defense on Braden Smith set up the team’s chance at the game-winning basket.
Wisconsin fans know what came next: Max Klesmit made a last-second bucket to give the Badgers an improbable and electrifying victory.
Here’s Matt Lepay on the call:
“The Badgers win it!
They’ll play for the title tomorrow!” pic.twitter.com/WHYBaXcEQK— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 16, 2024
Wisconsin is back at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Sunday to play for the Big Ten Tournament title.
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